Vegan in Hamburg.

As you probably might already know from my Instagram, we spent the weekend in Hamburg. We didn’t really plan anything and the really saw a lot for the short time we spent there. We went on a touristy boat trip within the harbour for a start and discovered a Russian spy submarine that they use as a museum in Hamburg, so we definitely had to check it out and we totally loved it. A submarine is super interesting from the inside, at least if you’re into technical stuff. ;) The rest of the time went into wandering through the city without any real plan, into some good ol’ shopping and of course into extensive brunches and dinners – which brings us to the most important part of my post: my short but lovely vegan food guide for Hamburg.

The first night, we had dinner at a pub called ‘Backbord’, as we were looking for places that catered to omnivores (=my boyfriend) just as much as they did to me, and I love vegan cuisine. Wandering around for hours in St. Pauli and starving, we were super happy to discover Backbord and its diverse menu, but were were disappointed when the waitress told us upfront that the waiting time for two meals would be more than an hour. None of us had the patience or strength to look for another restaurant, so we started to pass our hour-and-a-half waiting time. All of that waiting time turned out to be for a very average bowl of vegan Spaghetti Bolognese. Meh. But still, maybe I’ll give Backbord another try on our next Hamburg trip.

Saturday night, we went to dinner in Hamburg’s old town and visited Café Paris. We didn’t really know about it and discovered it by accident, but it turned out to be rather well-known and even hosted a presentation of Chanel’s ‘Brasserie Gabrielle’ this year. The food offering there is pretty delicious, but be sure to be there after 6 pm to be able to choose from their whole menu. They had the usual offerings of french style cafés (tartar, fish and French cuisine), and also two vegan meals that both sounded delicious. I had the oriental style cooked vegetables with a warm pearl barley salad. And yes, it was as great as it sounds, so Café Paris should definitely be on your to-do list when you go to Hamburg.

We planned a calm and relaxed Sunday brunch somewhere around St. Pauli, but since it was match day, people were already partying before the football game when we got there. When we entered Café Miller, it was already crowded with people drinking tons of beers (remember, it was Sunday morning) – but it was quite a fun scene to watch. Given that Café Miller appears as an original Hamburg pub, I was quite surprised at the vegan offer they had: In the summertime, they serve a buffet style breakfast with every hearty thing you can imagine: spreads, smoked tofu, vegan cheese, several types of bread, and of course some fresh fruit. If your a real health nut, this breakfast might not be for you, but personally, I can totally recommend this breakfast. Maybe it’s even better if you’ve been drinking the night before and need something to get you up and running again ;)

I would have loved to also try Leaf, a higher class vegan restaurant, but you really need to book a few days in advance if you go there. Anyway, there’s still a next time!

Sabrina Bianca Schlack

WHAT PIXIES WEAR was founded in April 2012 by Sabrina Bianca Schlack. Sustainability, veganism, fair and locally produced fashion have always been issues close to Sabrina's heart and are the main focus of WHAT PIXIES WEAR.